Don't Worry About it Being Perfect, Just Worry About it Being

If you're not thinking about what is possible then your stuck with what is impossible.

Being a creative in the business world has presented me with unique set of challenges. Challenges that I had no idea existed until they showed up as costly mistakes paid for out of my own wallet. Mostly because my mind was elsewhere; somewhere lost in a sea of colour, form, and function. Too busy creating to be bothered with the gnarly side of business — the math. So often in fact that for a long time I've been asking myself this question:

If I was presented with an opportunity to leave my career as a entrepreneur behind for something more permanent and stable that allowed me to focus solely on creative, would I be willing to take it?

I mean, I know how to draw, paint, move pixels around a screen, code an application, and develop a kick ass website, but what I lack is "official" training in business systems, operations, finance... the list goes on. I've certainly put a lot of ticks on the chalkboard under "lesson learned". Learning the hard way from the CRA or IRS is not fun.

My answer to this question has always been no. And primarily for this reason... creativity is not about user interface, it is not about composition or form, and it is not about typography, photography, or colour. Creativity is about generation. Idea manipulation, brainstorming, problem solving, innovating (I hate that word, but its true). The output (the UI, the logo, the painting) are products of creative thinking, creative being, creative creating.

I didn't realize just how powerful this mindset was until recently when I watched the TEDxKanata talk by Jason Flick from You.i Labs, Artistry and Innovation. His suggestion is to take art and make it the DNA of your company. Something that I have been doing since I launched my first business. Something that I felt was a hinderance, not a strength. And then it dawned on me...

The 'user interface' is merely a canvas for creative thought. Its not pixels on a screen, not a control surface. Just like the medium is the message, the creative individual is the user interface. The user interface effects absolutely everything in business. The user interface connects customers with products or services. The user interface inspires loyalty and sparks passion. Without creativity we lack the ability to dream beyond what currently exists, how we currently interact with each other. We would lack the vision to improve the experience of our customers and empower our employees.

So in fact, being an entrepreneur is being a creative in sheep's clothing. We get to sink our teeth into unique and challenging problems and make really cool solutions. We get to be the user interface. And by bettering ourselves we better the experiences of others.

If you are like me and struggle with how being a creative thinker impacts your business decisions...

Take this advice (if you feel like it). Stay creative and never second guess placing art at the forefront of your business acumen. Hire creative talent. Keep the dreamers close the the vest. 

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Here's Jason Flick's presentation. Watch it, it is mega rad.

Patrick Lyver
President of Kleurvision Inc.
www.kleurvision.com
Follow me on Twitter @patricklyver

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I also write for Inuit QuickBooks